Volkswagen Philippines comes out with the Cross Santana

Volkswagen Philippines has something new, aside from the new T-Cross color, the Santana family is also getting a new model available called the Cross Santana. The model looks like it's based on the existing Santana GTS, but with bigger wheels and a higher ride height. 

We’re anticipating more from Volkswagen Philippines, but for now, we’re getting a few minor lineup updates before some of the bigger launches come to pass. Only one variant of this model will be available, the 180 MPI AT, which is similar to the sedan and the GTS wagon that the lineup currently has. 

The exterior of the Cross Santana is very similar to the GTS, however, body cladding makes an appearance here, and blacked-out wheels for our Philippine-spec version give it a somewhat sporty look. Other than that, we also get to see a sunroof flanked by two roof rails and a nice little Cross Santana decal on the rear passenger doors. 

Meanwhile, the interior is straight out of a Santana GTS. While it is spartan, it comes with just enough features to keep the car relatively competitive. With a 7-inch infotainment system at the center of the dashboard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, it’s no tech lovers’ dream, but its no-frills approach could be something that some buyers would prefer. Underneath that, it’s still the dial-based air conditioning control panel. The driver is treated to a basic two-dial gauge cluster with a trip computer in the middle. Looking closely, you’ll be able to spot a red piece of trim that spans the length of the dashboard and ties into the info screen in the gauge cluster. 

The seats of the interior are clad in a combination of leather and cloth, with leather being used in key high-wear areas like the seat side bolsters. Meanwhile, the cloth is used down the center of the seats likely to help with driver or passenger comfort even on hot days. 

Apart from that, we’re seeing the same 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder gasoline engine making 109 hp and 135 Nm of torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain combo is the same one used in the Santana GTS, which has been adequate enough for the model to get around. In our testing, fuel efficiency was one of the Santana’s high points, however, performance with the added weight and height might take a hit. 

The Cross Santana is available, for a price of just P1,098,000. It marks the entry of the Santana into the subcompact crossover segment.